Vehicles using internal combustion engines typically include an air duct system for collecting and directing a flow of air to the engine for combustion. The air duct system may include an intake pipe that collects the air, and directs the flow of air to an un-filtered air chamber of an air cleaner box. The air cleaner box includes a filter element that filters particulate matter from the flow of air. The air flows from the un-filtered air chamber, through the filter element, to a filtered air chamber. An outlet is connected to the filtered air chamber, and directs the flow of air to the engine for combustion.
Often, at least one component of the air duct system is attached to a structural member of the vehicle, and another component of the air duct system is attached to the engine. For example, the intake pipe may be attached to the structural member, and the air cleaner box may be attached to the engine. The air duct system may include a flexible connecting member in order to isolate vibration and/or movement between the component of the air duct system attached to the engine, and the component of the air duct system attached to the structural member of the vehicle. The flexible connecting member may include, for example, a plurality of convolutes or bellows that allow movement in three dimensions. Typically, the connecting member includes a cylindrical portion that slides over a tubular portion of another component, and is secured by an annular screw driven band clamp or other similar device. However, packaging constraints and assembly procedures in some vehicles may require that the connecting member be axially compressed in order to fit between the two components being connected, and then axially expanded to slide over the respective tubular portions of the components that the connecting member is interconnecting